WHAT WE’RE READING

The articles you’ll want to save and share with your friends.

1. Terry Francona’s split with the Red Sox following the 2011 season was anything but amicable, but his return to Fenway Park this weekend as the manager of the Indians has provided some hope that the past can be repaired. FoxSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi profiles the Boston fans’ deep admiration for Francona and explains why he hopes the team’s ownership group eventually will welcome Francona back into the Red Sox family. [READ MORE]

2. The underachieving Dodgers, Blue Jays and Angels have provided more proof that big offseason spending doesn’t guarantee regular season and postseason success. ESPN.com’s Johnette Howard speaks with future Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa about why the free-spending teams so often disappoint. Among the things La Russa notes as vital to success are the intangibles that often get overlooked when constructing dream-team rosters. [READ MORE]

3. Many folks are surprised that Don Mattingly still is managing the Dodgers, considering his rant this week and the team’s poor start. But he will be in the dugout when the team returns home Friday night. The Los Angeles Times’ T. J. Simers credits the team’s ownership and front-office brain trust for being patient enough to stick with Mattingly. After all, the team still is in the jumbled NL West race. [READ MORE]

4. Another day, another injury, and another win. That basically sums up the Cardinals’ season thus far. Few teams have been as ravaged by injuries as the NL Central leaders, and even fewer have even come close to the level of success St. Louis has achieved in spite of them. CBSSports.com’s Scott Miller praises the franchise’s resilience, drafting prowess and tradition. [READ MORE]

5. Their record indicates that they still have a chance, and their deficit in the NL East and wild-card races isn’t unmanageable. But that isn’t enough to convince The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bob Ford that the Phillies are contenders. Ford explains why the odds of the team improving are slim, and he goes so far as to predict things could get much worse for a squad he believes has overachieved thus far. [READ MORE]

TWEET OF THE DAY

What sports figures are cramming into 140 characters that you’ve got to hear.

“I still haven't figured out why People blow there horn while sitting in #Traffic? #NYCTRAFFIC #NYC #SmH CHill we're all in traffic 2gether” — Mets RP LaTroy Hawkins (@LaTroyHawkins32), who has experienced traffic jams in just about every metropolitan area during his 19-season major league career

ON DECK

Rays lefthander Matt Moore will try to improve to 9-0 on Saturday afternoon when the Yankees visit Tropicana Field. In his fourth start of the season, Moore tossed eight innings of one-run ball and struck out nine batters in a defeat of the Yankees. The only damage that day came courtesy of a Robinson Cano homer.